Singapore celebrates 10th Singapore Maritime Week in conjunction with SG50 with People, Ideas and Opportunities
Delegates representing port authorities, CEOs, industry leaders, and maritime experts and professionals worldwide will converge in Singapore at the 10th Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2015 from 19 to 24 April 2015 to discuss key trends, opportunities and challenges facing the maritime industry today, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in a press release.
Comprising trade conferences and public events, SMW 2015 will feature 30 events. About 54,000 public participants and high-level delegates are expected to attend these events.
Driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), SMW 2015 is a flagship event that brings together the international maritime community in Singapore for a week of high-level programming to profile Maritime Singapore. 2015 is especially significant as SMW marks its 10th anniversary, at the same time that Singapore celebrates its 50th birthday this year.
Themed People, Ideas and Opportunities, SMW 2015 will be a key platform to promote thought leadership and business opportunities, as well as offer good networking opportunities for the who's who in the maritime industry. SMW 2015 is a good showcase of Singapore's vibrant maritime cluster, from shipping, offshore marine, ancillary services to research and development. Community outreach events will also be enhanced with a public exhibition that tells the past, present and future story of Maritime Singapore.
This year, SMW 2015 will bring together thought leaders from around the world. With ongoing election at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Singapore is pleased to host all the IMO Secretary-General candidates. These include Mr Lim Ki-tack, President of Busan Port Authority; Mr Andreas Chrysostomou, Acting Director, Department of Merchant Shipping, Cyprus; Dr Maximo Q Mejia, Administrator, Maritime Industry Authority, Philippines, Mr Andreas Nordseth, Director-General, Danish Maritime Authority, Mr Juvenal J.M. Shiundu, Deputy Director/Head of Programme Management, IMO; and Mr. Vitaly Klyuev, Deputy Director Department of the State Policy for Maritime and River Transport, Ministry of Transport, Russia. Mr Koji Sekimizu, the Secretary-General of IMO, will also be in Singapore.
In addition, MPA will be organising the inaugural Port Authorities Roundtable to bring port authorities together to share and discuss issues and ideas. MPA is also organising the Advanced Maritime Leadership Programme, a unique immersive executive development programme that seeks to further hone the leadership skills of senior maritime leaders and build new capacity to transform their organisations.
Another key event is the Singapore Maritime Technology Conference, a new and dedicated platform for industry and technology solution providers, as well as research institutes, to meet and collaborate. Technology solutions for the maritime sector will also be profiled.
MPA and its MaritimeOne partners - Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF), Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), and the Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI) - will kick off SMW 2015 with a first ever Maritime Heritage Exhibition. Titled "Maritime Singapore: From Trading Post to Global Hub", the exhibition will be held at the Marina Bay Sands Events Plaza from 19 - 24 April 2015. To mark SG50, the special exhibition will trace the evolution of Maritime Singapore from its humble beginnings to its emergence as a global hub port and an international maritime centre. The exhibition will also offer a peek into the shared future of Maritime Singapore.
During the week, more than 1,000 students and members of the public will also go on SMW Maritime Learning Journeys that include a sea tour to the Raffles Lighthouse. This complements the ongoing efforts to generate public interest in the maritime sector and to profile the exciting career opportunities.
Besides these events, members of the public can also look forward to more outreach activities later this year. These include the launch of the second edition of the Singapore Maritime Trails, and the Amazing Maritime Challenge in September to be held in conjunction with World Maritime Day. These activities are part of MPA's ongoing efforts to promote Maritime Singapore and careers in the maritime sector.